Daniel a key figure in Title XI

To the average layman, the name Lamar Daniel doesn’t mean a lot. But in the world of intercollegiate athletics, he is extremely well-known and is considered the quintessential expert on Title IX.

In case you are not familiar, Title IX of the Education Amendments is a United States law, enacted in June 1972, that states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefit of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

Daniel, a Macon native and a 1962 graduate of Lanier High School, worked with the Office For Civil Rights in Atlanta for almost 21 years after graduating from Georgia State. In 1990 he co-authored the Title IX Athletic Investigators Manual, which is still in effect. In 1994, Lamar left the Office For Civil Rights and started his own company, Lamar Daniel Inc., Consultants for Gender Equity and Sports Management.

The mission of the company was dedicated to the identification, resolution and elimination of Title IX problems within an athletics program. After starting the company, Daniel conducted Title IX evaluations for schools all over the country and from virtually every major conference, including the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, Mountain West, Western Athletic, Southern, Big West, Big South, A-10, Mid-American, A-Sun and Colonial, as well as Division II and NAIA schools. During his career, he said he probably has conducted about 500 evaluations.

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“Most schools try to do the right thing, but budget constraints figure into a lot of the decisions,” Daniel said. “In my many years working in this field, I encountered two athletic directors who stand out, and it was because of their attitude toward women’s sport. They just didn’t want to be accommodating. One of those is no longer in athletics, and the other is deceased.

“The big-time football playing schools are the best off because they have the resources to take care of any inequities. Both Georgia and Georgia Tech do a good job in taking care of their women’s programs. The biggest problems facing some schools today is facilities for women because the cost to build new stadiums and other amenities is so high.”

Daniel said some schools are cutting back on men’s sports to accommodate the women’s needs and pointed out California, which recently dropped several men’s sports, including baseball.

Many schools are adding football to their list of offerings, and Daniel said that in most cases it is for additional male enrollment and also to add to the total college experience. But it comes with a price. Daniel said schools have to add women’s sports to balance off the numbers achieved by the additional male participation.

Daniel, who is no longer working, said the Office For Civil Rights announced recently that it was going to put a major focus on Title IX at the national level to make sure institutions are in compliance. He was doing evaluations for select clients with whom he has had a longstanding relationship but no longer takes on those calls.

But knowing Daniel, I’m sure he would he would lend his advice if you needed a question answered. But officially he says he is retired.